$90,000 in Washington ≈ $80,909 in Richmond

$80,909

Purchasing-power equivalent using BEA RPP 2024 (108.9 → 97.9). BLS OEWS May 2025 wages on linked pages.

Prices in Richmond run −10.1% vs Washington for equal purchasing power at this salary level.

Washington RPP
108.9
Richmond RPP
97.9
Price gap
−10.1%
Base salary
$90,000

Prices in Richmond run −10.1% versus Washington on BEA all-items RPP (2024), so overall price levels are lower at the destination. A $90,000 paycheck in Washington maps to about $80,909 in Richmond for equal purchasing power.

Your salary

Needed in Richmond: $80,909

Live math: salary × (97.9 ÷ 108.9). Same formula as the static ladder below.

Salary needed in Richmond

In WashingtonIn Richmond
$60,000$53,939
$90,000$80,909
$150,000$134,848

Equivalent = origin salary × (97.9 ÷ 108.9). Adjust the base with the slider above.

Price level components

ComponentWashingtonRichmondUS
All items108.997.9100
Goods104.896.8100
Housing (rents)151.199.1100
Other services102.398.6100

BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, US = 100. Housing is rents; utilities omitted in this view.

Wages in both metros

OccupationWashingtonRichmondDest. middle halfDest. OEWS emp.Gap
Physicians, All Other$208,710$284,090$204,860 to $333,4501,760+36.1%
Computer and Information Systems Managers$195,190$180,640$153,580 to $224,3201,900−7.5%
Financial Managers$185,270$173,140$136,020 to $218,6503,480−6.5%
Marketing Managers$181,260$174,130$132,730 to $214,9301,090−3.9%
Architectural and Engineering Managers$185,220$167,170$140,830 to $200,830570−9.7%
Sales Managers$175,820$168,590$121,440 to $225,6701,320−4.1%
Lawyers$195,190$144,910$100,490 to $215,6803,780−25.8%
Human Resources Managers$177,960$152,190$116,260 to $200,640960−14.5%

BLS OEWS May 2025 metro medians where published for both CBSAs. Employment is OEWS published employment, not job openings.

FAQ

What salary do I need in Richmond to match $90,000 in Washington?
About $80,909, based on BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) of 108.9 and 97.9. Formula: salary × (RPP_destination / RPP_origin). Not financial advice.
What do goods, housing, and other RPP components mean?
BEA publishes component indexes alongside all-items RPP. Goods covers merchandise prices; housing (rents) covers rents; other services covers remaining services. All are indexed to US = 100 for the same vintage year.
How do OEWS wages relate to this comparison?
BLS OEWS (May 2025) publishes occupation medians by metro. The wage bridge shows jobs with published medians in both metros, plus middle-half bands and OEWS employment where available. RPP adjusts purchasing power; OEWS reports pay.
Does this include taxes or benefits?
No. PayByCity does not model income taxes, childcare, healthcare premiums, or leave. Use the figures as a price-level starting point, not a take-home or total-rewards calculator.

What this covers

Includes

  • BEA Regional Price Parities (all items, goods, housing rents, other services)
  • BLS OEWS median wages, percentile bands, and employment where published
  • Purchasing-power math: salary × (destination RPP ÷ origin RPP)

Does not include

  • Federal, state, or local income taxes
  • Childcare, healthcare premiums, or leave benefits
  • Job openings. OEWS employment is a published stock estimate, not hiring demand

See methodology and disclaimer.